Previews

Flower

Like flOw before it, Flower puts a heavy emphasis on audio. The introductory stage had relaxing ambient soundscapes, and as we played through it, new sounds would link up with the existing soundtrack to create something fresh and new. Chen pointed out that audio is actually 60% of the game; amidst the 200,000-plus beautiful blades of grass in each stage, the ability to manipulate the aural elements of it is a huge part of the experience. He compared the timing of flower-floating to dancing. "When you hit the right part of the beat when you're dancing, it's a more rewarding feeling," he explained,"and that's something we're trying to re-create within our game."

Essentially, as your petals float, you can steer them in the direction of new and different-colored flowers, which have different sound effects. Based on the trail of foliage and your pace, you effectively change the soundtrack. The results give the ambient music a bit more color, just like the trails you're steering. It's oddly fascinating to pull off; we did it a few times unconsciously before Chen's presentation without realizing that the rhythm elements are actually part of Flower's core gameplay.

Chen fast-forwarded the action from the first level to the third stage. When asked about game length, he was relatively coy about the number of levels you can expect from Flower, but said that the average gamer should expect a few hours of gameplay from their first playthrough. It was here that we got a better idea of how Flower advances. The photos change from level to level, which Chen pointed out will be part of its poetic nature. He said that each still shot before each stage has a greater context that you'll understand when you beat it. The apartment, then the world outside, becomes more colorful as you advance, and more flowers begin to populate the windowsill. Chen closed the presentation with an advanced gameplay sequence. Flower isn't just about twisting around a field; it also utilizes elements of nature to help you advance your flock of flora. In this case, Chen presented the challenge of building up enough gust to power a wind turbine (how green!) and super-charge a stream of pedals through a narrow valley.

Flower is a game that's designed to stimulate emotion. In our case it was awe, and we suspect it'll be the same for many of you. Chen joked that TGC has better-looking grass than Unreal Engine 3, and we'll agree that its beauty truly grabs you from the outset. Like That Game Company's prior project, Flower seems to take an approach of "complex simplicity." It's beautiful and easy enough for non-gamers to tackle, but its appeal reaches beyond casuals, as we witnessed with its rhythmic patterns and meticulous detail. Amidst a sea of highly innovative digital-only titles on display at E3, Flower stands stalk and pedals above its myriad peers. We hope that the final product captivates everyone as much as it did us among the hustle and bustle of the LA Convention Center.